Gibbs sighed and looked at the plasma screen. The pictures there were the image of his failure, at least that was what he thought. He knew his team was feeling just as miserable as he was - well, maybe not quite as miserable. At first he had told McGee to put up the pictures as a reminder, a motivation. He wanted them to see the faces so they would work harder. By now it was just frustrating. The daily visits from Fornell never brought good news, only bad and even his team seldom brought results. Two weeks had passed since the last child had been found, two and a half weeks since she died and four fucking weeks since she had been abducted. It had been the longest that bastard had held on to the same girl - Ducky suspected that she simply lived the longest. It was the seventh girl and yet both his director and Fornell’s director wanted to close the case, as unpopular as that would be. Gibbs knew that it would take months before the case really was closed, but it was only a matter of hours, maybe days, before his team would be taken off the case.
„It gotta be Jefferson!“ Tony said once more, cutting into Gibbs‘ thoughts. Of course it was Jefferson. He knew it, Tony knew it and Fornell knew it, too. Jefferson, that filthy son of a bitch. He had laughed in their faces and was out before they could read him his rights.
„We don’t have proof though,“ Ziva said, resigned. Tony snorted and stood up fast, his chair crashing into the shelf behind his desk, knocking one of the folders down â€" he didn’t seem to notice.
„I’m going home, this is making me sick,„ he said angrily, but still looked at Gibbs for permission. Gibbs knew that Tony would stay as long as he told him to, but he didn’t see any reason to keep his agitated senior agent any longer, so he nodded, nearly unnoticibly. Tony did too, and left without another word.
Gibbs once more looked at the plasma screen. „Ziva, McGee, go home, get some sleep. Tell Abby to do the same.“
„I don’t think Abby will listen, boss,“ McGee reasoned.
„Just try it, Tim,“ Gibbs answered tiredly, and then he did something he never did on an active case â€" he left before McGee and Ziva.
Only hours later Gibbs returned to the office. McGee’s message was confusing but he came in as soon as he heard it. His phone battery had been dead and when he called back McGee told him that he, Ziva and Ducky were still at the scene whereas Tony had went back to HQ.
„What’s going on?“ he asked as he met Tony in the hallway. He noticed the candy and soda Tony was carrying. „You ever stop eating?“ he added.
„It’s not for me, boss. They found Jefferson. His throat was slashed from left to right,“ Tony said and made a slashing motion with the candy across his throat. „There was a girl with him. I thought she could use something sweet after the night she had.“ Tony started to walk towards the conference room.
„Did the girl kill Jefferson?“ Gibbs questioned.
„The FBI thinks so.“
Gibbs put a hand on Tony’s shoulder to stop him from entering.
„What do you think?“ he asked and Tony sighed.
„The girl said a big man entered the room and cut Jefferson’s throat, blood splashed and the man was gone. When the FBI asked her about the man all she could tell them was that he was dressed in all black and had something like a black hockey mask on. They found the knife and it had her fingerprints on it. She said she had taken it after Jefferson was killed. The FBI thinks she killed him and then made up the big black man to take the blame. Sounds pretty reasonable to me.“
„How old is she?“
„Eight. Not easy to cope with killing someone at that age...it never is.“
Gibbs nodded, accepting the argument. They went into the conference room where the girl was still talking to the FBI Agents, McGee and Ziva. Her voice was starting to sound raspy as her eyes found Tony.
„Tony, you tell them! I didn’t make him up!“ she looked at Tony with big pleading eyes. Gibbs was surprised that she chose Tony of all people to bond with, but then, he had gotten the message two hours late (damn cell-phone battery) and Tony had probably been there right when they found her.
„Sure, sweetie, I believe you. Here, rest your voice a little.“ He smiled at the girl and gave her the candy bar and the soda.
„Agent DiNozzo, could I have a word with you?“ The FBI profiler, a man Gibbs disliked at first sight, asked pointedly. Tony stroked the girl’s head and then left the room behind the profiler, followed by Gibbs.
„It does not help her trauma if you’re encouraging that fantasy, DiNozzo!“
Gibbs got the feeling again that all that anger didn’t just come from this case. The profiler and his second had some history.
„Maggie had a really tough night and even if she’s imagining that guy she’s still holding up amazingly well. And you’re just assuming that she’s making him up, you know what they say about assumptions, don’t you, Clark?“
„Do you really believe that someone followed Jefferson, killed him and then left? If someone knew what he was doing, why would they do that and risk a conviction instead of calling the cops?“
„Ever heard of people who lost faith in the system?“ Gibbs asked inbetween and threw them both off. „I don’t think it would hurt if someone believed her right now. Or do you really want that girl to face what happened to her and what she did?“
Clark, clearly taken aback, shook his head and went back into the room, looking royally pissed.
„What is it between the two of you?“ Gibbs asked Tony. The younger man sighed.
„We knew each other in college. It’s been like this ever since.“
With that cryptic answer and a pained expression nearly hidden behind his well practiced mask, Tony went back into the conference room.
Story Notes:
Thanks to jelly-belly for beta
THis isn't finished yet. I'm posting it as far as I got until now. Creative input is welcome and might be used *go*
Feedback is always appreciated
Author's Chapter Notes:
Wherever the system fails
I’ll be there
For those who can’t save themselves
I’ll be there
When ever a crime is unrevenged
I’ll be there
Sincerely, the Dark Avenger
I’ll be there
For those who can’t save themselves
I’ll be there
When ever a crime is unrevenged
I’ll be there
Sincerely, the Dark Avenger
Chapter End Notes:
Thanks to jelly-belly for beta
THis isn't finished yet. I'm posting it as far as I got until now. Creative input is welcome and might be used *go*
Feedback is always appreciated
THis isn't finished yet. I'm posting it as far as I got until now. Creative input is welcome and might be used *go*
Feedback is always appreciated